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[The following takes place during the Battle of Fort Pillow which, after the Confederate attackers had successfully swarmed the Union garrison, quickly turned into perhaps the most infamous massacre of the American Civil War. A little more context, courtesy of Wikipedia: “The Battle of Fort Pillow, which ended with the Fort Pillow massacre, was fought on April 12, 1864, at Fort Pillow on the Mississippi River in Henning, Tennessee, during the American Civil War. The battle ended with a massacre of African-American Union troops and their white officers attempting to surrender, by soldiers under the command of Confederate Major General Nathan Bedford Forrest. Military historian David J. Eicher concluded, "Fort Pillow marked one of the bleakest, saddest events of American military history."]

One of the Federals who admitted to carrying his gun and cartridge box down the bluff was Corporal William Dickey of the 13th, who hid with a buddy behind a stump. Too terrified to fire his musket, he watched a single rebel “shoot as many as four negroes just as fast as he could load his gun and shoot.” When the rebel trooper turned in his direction, “I begged him not to shoot me” and “gave him my gun.”

The trooper took Dickey’s caps as well. “I want them to kill niggers,” he said.

”I begged him to let me go with him, as I would be exposed there.”

”No,” replied the rebel, “stay there.”

A second rebel agreed to spare Dickey’s life, but refused to take him into his protective custody. Instead, he “ordered me to stay with my wounded partner, who was lying in some brush. I crawled in the brush to him. He was suffering very much.” Dickey loosened his partner’s belt and placed his cartridge box under his head, but a group of rebels “under the hill spied us moving in the brush and ordered us to come out. My partner could not come out,” but Dickey cautiously emerged. “They ordered me to come to them,” and Dickey fell behind one of them, begging him not to shoot him. But he had gone no more than ten steps when the rebel he was following turned about and shot him in the stomach.

Source:

Ward, Andrew. “River Run Red.” River Run Red: The Fort Pillow Massacre in the American Civil War. Viking, 2005. 207. Print.

Original Source Listed:

William A. Dickey in RJSCW.

Further Reading:

Battle of Fort Pillow / Fort Pillow Massacre
[**The following takes place during the Battle of Fort Pillow which, after the Confederate attackers had successfully swarmed the Union garrison, quickly turned into perhaps the most infamous massacre of the American Civil War. A little more context, courtesy of Wikipedia: “The Battle of Fort Pillow, which ended with the Fort Pillow massacre, was fought on April 12, 1864, at Fort Pillow on the Mississippi River in Henning, Tennessee, during the American Civil War. The battle ended with a massacre of African-American Union troops and their white officers attempting to surrender, by soldiers under the command of Confederate Major General Nathan Bedford Forrest. Military historian David J. Eicher concluded, "Fort Pillow marked one of the bleakest, saddest events of American military history."**] >One of the Federals who admitted to carrying his gun and cartridge box down the bluff was Corporal William Dickey of the 13th, who hid with a buddy behind a stump. Too terrified to fire his musket, he watched a single rebel “shoot as many as four negroes just as fast as he could load his gun and shoot.” When the rebel trooper turned in his direction, “I begged him not to shoot me” and “gave him my gun.” >The trooper took Dickey’s caps as well. “I want them to kill niggers,” he said. >”I begged him to let me go with him, as I would be exposed there.” >”No,” replied the rebel, “stay there.” >A second rebel agreed to spare Dickey’s life, but refused to take him into his protective custody. Instead, he “ordered me to stay with my wounded partner, who was lying in some brush. I crawled in the brush to him. He was suffering very much.” Dickey loosened his partner’s belt and placed his cartridge box under his head, but a group of rebels “under the hill spied us moving in the brush and ordered us to come out. My partner could not come out,” but Dickey cautiously emerged. “They ordered me to come to them,” and Dickey fell behind one of them, begging him not to shoot him. But he had gone no more than ten steps when the rebel he was following turned about and shot him in the stomach. _____________________________ **Source:** Ward, Andrew. “River Run Red.” *River Run Red: The Fort Pillow Massacre in the American Civil War*. Viking, 2005. 207. Print. **Original Source Listed:** William A. Dickey in *RJSCW*. _____________________________ **Further Reading:** [Battle of Fort Pillow / Fort Pillow Massacre](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Fort_Pillow)

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